1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to body supports, and more particularly, to a roll-up body support cushion.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is common for people such as travelers, commuters, office workers, truck drivers, and the disabled to be sitting down for long periods of time in automobiles, airplanes, trains, offices, beds and wheelchairs. As is well known, sitting down for long periods of time can cause back and neck fatigue due to lack of support on those portions of the body. Such fatigue in the back is particularly noticeable when support is lacking in the vicinity of the lumbar region of the back.
It has long been recognized that one way to prevent such fatigue is to support the neck and back while the person is seated or lying down. Most chairs, seats, and many beds, however, are inadequately designed to provide the proper support to the fatigue sensitive portions of the body. In order to overcome these inadequacies, conventional support devices such as bolster pillows, cylindrical lumbar supports, semicylindrical lumbar supports, and cervical supports have been used to provide support to a person's body while he or she is seated or lying down. Some of these devices are directed to support of the head, and others are directed to support of the lumbar portion of the back.
Conventional support devices, however, suffer from a number of disadvantages. First, conventional support devices have predetermined shapes, thicknesses, and firmnesses that cannot be adjusted. Because people have many different shapes and sizes, most of the conventional devices cannot be used by everyone. Second, although the predetermined shape, thickness, and firmness of a conventional device may be adequate for a person under some circumstances, it may not be appropriate for that person under all circumstances, such as during more severe or minor cases of fatigue. Third, many conventional support devices cannot accommodate a hot or cold pack. Finally, many conventional support devices have no convenient way of being positioned on a seat or chair.
Thus, there is a need for a body support device that overcomes the disadvantages of conventional support devices.